


An Awkward Encounter

by a_single_night_without_ghosts



Category: Amazingphil - Fandom, Dan Howell - Fandom, Danisnotonfire - Fandom, Fall Out Boy, dan and phil
Genre: Chicago, Concert, DAN AND PHIL - Freeform, F/M, Navy Pier, Punk Dan, Shy Dan, akward Dan, allegan, allegan county fair, dan and phil in America, night vibes, pastel punk
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-28
Updated: 2016-08-10
Packaged: 2018-05-03 20:32:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5305847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/a_single_night_without_ghosts/pseuds/a_single_night_without_ghosts
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dan and Phil in West Michigan. Fall Out Boy at Allegan County Fair. I was there. So was the OC insp. It was bomb. Dan&Phil were unfortunately not actually there. Still, could've happened.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. An Akward Encounter

**Author's Note:**

  * For [pierce-the-narwhale](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=pierce-the-narwhale).



“Again, we thank you for your patience.” The stewardess finished over the scratchy intercom. Dan rolled his neck and looked over at Phil.  
“This just made my day.” Dan said sarcastically. They were on their way to Chicago for the book tour. They were flying over west Michigan when the airline informed them of a layover. Only hours from their destination they had to stop and switch planes.  
They de-boarded the plane and went over to the information desk. After having a “heated discussion” according to Dan they had discovered that the airline would only pay for a new flight, not even a rental car. The next flight to Chicago left in 13 hours. They’d have to find something to do with their day.  
As they were sitting in the airport cafe Phil looked across the room and widened his eyes. He turned to Dan and made puppy eyes. 

“Dan….”

“Yes Phil?” 

“Do we have enough for a cab?” Phil looked on hopefully.

“I suppose so, why?”  
Phil stood up, crossed the room and pulled a flyer off the bulletin board that sat above the coffee station. He brought it over to Dan and sat back down. Dan picked up the flyer and eyed it with interest.  
‘The Allegan County Fair’ the flyer read in large letters at the top. He leafed trough a few pages getting the highlights. Farm animals, carnival rides, food vendors, and live bands. He checked the date.  
“No way!” Said Dan with a breathy laugh. “Guess who’s playing the live concert today.”  
“Who?” Phil asked. He hadn’t had much time to look at the pamphlet so all he knew was that there were rides and animals. Concerts were very Dan though, so if it helped get them there Phil was all in.  
“Fall Out Boy.”  
Oh, Phil was definitely in. “No way!!!!” His voice rose an octive and got a bit scratchy.  
“Uh…yeah.” Dan said. “We can definitely go.”  
“Yea!” Phil exclaimed with a smile to outshine a Pegasus. 

The two of them caught a cab outside the airport and rode the one and a half hours to the fair. The ride seemed to take forever to them, especially Dan who was brimming with excitement and anticipation at the prospect of seeing the members of Fall Out Boy again.  
“Do you think we’ll be able to see them?” Dan asked. “What if they are not allowed to have visitors? Or don’t remember us?” He was letting his anxiety get the better of him. Phil knew how this went. Soon Dan will stop the car, sufficiently freak out, and they won’t end up going. Not today. Phil turned around and grabbed Dan’s shoulders.  
“No. Don’t think like that. They love us. Just send out a tweet that our flight was delayed and we’ll be in the area. Tag Pete and say how rare it is how often we are ever in the same place. Maybe we can even interview them again.” Phil was a genius. A little while later Dan got a response saying if they got into the concert they could hang out for a while afterwards. FOB would even drive them to the airport after the show. The band had to fly to Ireland first thing after their show for the European tour. Neither of them thought their day could get better.  
They got to the fair and bought tickets. After wandering around the grounds for a while Phil had compiled a list of the rides he wanted to go on and in what order. Dan was feeling a bit sick from the plane and bumpy taxi ride (and nerves) so he decided to opt out of rides. Phil was sad that Dan wouldn’t go with him, but he was also glad that would give him a bit of alone time. 

Dan decided to walk around a bit until he felt better. Dan began walking toward the craft barn and saw a pop machine. He put a dollar in and punched the ginger ale button. Everyone knows that carbonated spice cured stomach aches. He sipped his drink delicately for the gangly uncoordinated giant he truly is. Ambling around the craft barns he eventually wound his way outside. Before he knew it he was lost on the relatively small grounds.  
“You sure you don’t need more help?” Dan heard a soft voice ask.  
“No, you go ahead and enjoy the fair, dear.” An older more wary voice said.  
“Okay see you later!” The first voice claimed. Dan rounded the corner and saw an adorable, short girl with long dark hair that faded to pink on the ends walking away. He jogged to catch up with her.  
“Hey!” He called. “Excuse me!” She turned around. She had bright lips and dramatic blue-green eyes. Her eyeliner was expertly winged and her pastel goth style highlighted her frame. She’d kept it simple with black cutoff shorts, pastel over the knee socks that lead down to big black combat boots, a black&pastel sassy t-shirt and a plaid flannel tied around her waist. The only thing that clashed was the half apron that matched the sign on the caramel apple stand that sat to their left.  
“Can I help you?” She asked timidly. She seemed a bit critical yet kind too.  
“You seem like you know the place and I was wondering how to get back by the fair rides.” Dan meekly answered. She slipped off her flower studded sunglasses and looked up at him. He realized he was standing in front of the sun so he was probably just a silhouette. “Where are you from?” She asked. “If you don’t mind me asking.”  
“London” Dan happily supplied.  
“Cool. The rides are just over here.” She said. “I’ll show you.” As Dan stepped under the tree line the girl stopped dead in her tracks. Her eyebrows quirked up in a truly unique way.  
“Dan….” She trailed off. She just stood there stupefied for a minuet. Dan was too busy texting Phil about his whereabouts to notice. When he looked up she was blushing and trying to stutter something out. Dan just thought he was deaf from all the fair noises.  
“You’ll have to speak up.” He said. “I can’t hear you.” Trying to recover the girl said “It’s just this way.” And turned around swiftly and began to walk away. Dan tried to keep up and was thoroughly exhausted after almost losing her a few times. Finally she stopped by a neon sign advertising corn dogs and elephant ears. They stood there shifting awkwardly for a few minutes, both of them trying desperately to think of something to say.  
“Here you are.” She finally mumbled to her feet.  
“You know who I am, don’t you?” Dan asked.  
“Yeah.” The girl said blushing profusely.  
“Cool, well I’m very glad to have met you. A fan. In Michigan. I didn’t know our fanbase was that big.”  
“Are you kidding?!?” She looked up at him incredulously. Her eyebrows did the cute quirky thing again.  
“Yep.” He said. He couldn’t think of anything to follow that. ‘Great,’ He thought sarcastically 'here is this beautiful girl standing in front of me and my brain is no help. Of course.'  
Just then his Nightmare Before Christmas ringer went off. He reached for his phone. So did she.  
“Odd.” She looked at the screen confused.  
“What?” Dan asked.  
“Oh, nothing. I thought I heard my phone is all.” She stated. The ringer went off again along with a vibrating in Dan’s palm.  
“There, that!” She said, even more confused.  
“What?” Dan asked again. The only thing he heard was his own ringtone.  
“Nevermind. Someone around here must have the same one.” Dan peered down at his phone.

Phil: I am only a third done with the rides!

Dan could hear him whining even through the words on his screen. How was he only a third done? There were like eight rides. 'Typical Phil’ Dan thought with admiration 'must have gone on some of them a few times.’ The second text read:

Phil: You go ahead and explore the fair. I’ll catch up with you l8r. 

'Okay.’ Dan replied. He didn’t want to explore the fair alone. That sounded boring. He knew how he could spend more time with the fan now! He should probs get her name at some point…. He turned to where she was standing to find that she wasn’t standing there anymore. She had walked a few feet away and was shuffling back and forth a little with indecisive steps.  
“Hey, wait!” He called stepping after her. He almost tripped over a crack in the pavement in his rush. He ended up falling on an older lady who was at the fair with her prize cucumber and nearly bowling her over. “I’m s-so sorry!” He stuttered patting her to make sure she was okay.  
“It’s not everyday a handsome young gentleman goes and falls for me.” The old woman said with a wink. Dan backed up a bit (almost into a trash can) and blushed. He tried to eck out a response, but in the end the woman just patted his arm and went about her business. He shook himself and caught up to the girl who was practically in stitches. She was trying not to full out laugh. Dan forgot what he was going to say when he saw her smile. She was so carefree and happy. She sombered up when she noticed him staring.  
“Anyone home?” She quipped and Dan looked away.  
“Uh..so. Um, Phil is busy. So, I guess, I mean if you want. We could, uh. Do you want to walk around with me? If you are busy that’s completely okay. I mean I’d be really um, uh…upset? I guess? But yeah.” He finished. She was shocked. He was asking her to walk around?  
“S-sure.” She said.  
They wandered for a bit and as they warmed up to each other they became more and more sassy.  
“Oh I’m sure you did.” Sarcasm laced her voice.  
“Come on,” He replied “like you can tightrope walk.”  
“Tru. You have a point.” They were just finishing some apple cider and walking out of one barn as they turned into another. Dan took the three cups, he had spilled one out of nerves and uncoordination and had to buy another, and tossed them in the trash.  
“Oh, look!” She exclaimed. “Bunnies!”  
She walked quicker into the barn. 'Bunnies,’ Thought Dan 'the beginning of the animals.’ They walked around, Dan occasionally petting a bunny with a finger or two and the girl cuddling them close to her chest.  
They made a perfect pair in a weird way. Deflecting each other’s sass with more sass and keeping their distance or diving into something. The tall boy in all black and the short girl with complimenting black laced with pastels. They walked out of the bunny area and around to the stalls. Dan stayed as far back from the horses and pigs and goats and cows as he could. The girl would grab his hand with her sparkly jelly bracelet clad one and try to encourage him forward. He would shy away until the animals had calmed down, but still kept his distance from the larger or wilder animals. They got to the llama and Dan opened up to the animals a lot more. Every time one of the animals would shift or make a noise Dan would give a little jump. It was especially bad with the goats bleating. The girl just laughed at his scared clinging to her hand. It was worth it to see her laugh. 

Eventually the time of the concert rolled around and they texted Phil to meet them at the entrance. The girl, he found out her name when Phil introduced himself and his 3 new stuffed animal prizes, heard her ghost ringtone again. She was staying for the concert too and after checking with her grandmother, who owned the caramel apple stand she worked at, she met them back in line (with caramel apples) for the concert. FOB was an hour late due to a detour and bad roads Thanks, M-DOT(Michigan department of transportation.) So they had time to figure out how to get backstage and since Dan didn’t want to leave the girl he convinced security that she was with them. The girl did her best not to freak out but it didn’t do much good. Dan put his arm around her shoulder and did his best to be reassuring. That did help her. A lot. 

Fall Out Boy arrived and had a small meet and greet while the techs unloaded then came over to the group. Through some miracle the girl didn’t cry. Okay, so she did, but only a little. They hung out for a while and talked and laughed. Phil even got his interview. Then it was time to go watch the show. The autumn air set the perfect scene with the pulsing orange and red lights. Halfway through the set it began to rain. They were under the shelter of the pavilion so they weren’t bothered much. Pete made a very moving speach throughout which all three of them teared up.  
“You’re the milkshake, we just want to be the cherry on top.” He called out to the crowd.  
After the set finished and a crowd selfie was taken Fall Out Boy left the stage and the group went back to see them again. They helped pack up the best they could and the band, techs, and Dan and Phil got ready to head to the airport. Dan stepped away to say goodbye to the pastel goth punk rock princess he had unwittingly fallen for.  
“Thank you for helping me find my way back to the main part of the fair and for walking around with me.” He said to the girl.  
“Are you kidding? I-I mean thank you for asking me to out- I mean, to hang out…and watching the concert with me. I was pretty bummed I didn’t have anyone to go with….none of my friends here are concert people.” Dan had done SO much for her, she didn’t understand why he was thanking her. “I had such an amazing time with you.”  
“I’m glad. We’ll…have to do this again. You should..I mean you could- if, you know, you wanted too- you could give me your phone number?”  
“YES!” She said louder than she meant to. “Uh…yeah, okay.” She tried to recover. Dan grinned. They exchanged numbers and after a hug Phil pulled Dan off to the bus. 

“Phil, I’m sorry we didn’t get to view the animals together.”  
“That’s okay,” Phil said with a grin “I thought you and your new girlfriend could use time together."  
“Who said anything about girlfriend???” Dan asked incredulously.  
Phil just gave a smirk.


	2. I Know I Should  Be Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chicago. Navy pier. The next stop for Dan and Phil.

The lights from the boats glittered over the water, the only illumination aside from the strand lights on the Pier. Dan looked out across Lake Michigan taking in the overcast night sky and choppy water. The weekly fireworks show had just ended and the Pier was clearing. The train from Michigan was rocky so he hadn't slept much the night before and after a long day of fans and friends he was exhausted. But they had another train to take and Dan didn't know when he might get another moment alone. He decided to stay and watch the ships harbor, unload and leave port for a little longer. He shrugged down further into his thin hoodie and sighed. 

The book tour was running long and he couldn't wait to be home, but when he thought of it, Dan couldn't think of anything in London he missed. The cafes and stores, the accents and food he was familiar with. He had Phil, and the only other thing on his mind was somewhere on the other side of the lake. 

Dan started for the hotel. Street after winding street through the maze of Chicago he paced. Over the noisy bridges and past closed, dark buildings. Occasionally passing a crowded bar or lone walker making their way to wherever they called home. The streetlights lit his shoes with a warm orange glow and turned puddles of mud to gold.  
"Goodnight," he whispered to the moon, hidden somewhere just beyond his sight. His voice echoed through the overpass in front of him.  
"The city don't sleep," said a voice somewhere in the darkness.  
"Way to keep it real," Dan mumbled. But that's Chicago, the homeless are your neighbors and everyone's a cynic. That doesn't mean no one has big hopes. Dan knew what that was like. Hope. When everything else goes to hell, it can be the one thing still there for us.

Dan's phone buzzed. "Goodnight" the screen read. He maybe smiled, just a bit.


	3. London Calling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dying to live.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still debating between naming the girl or using some anti-noun. Comment with advice! Also, might be looking for a proofreader soon. I don't post a ton, sorry bout that btw. Everything in moderation as they say.

As the album ended the girl rolled over. She had been lying on the couch listening to her favorite cd. She slipped in another album from her collection. It was now early January. She barely heard the small noise her phone made over the music she let flood her head. She looked, she had known better than to expect a friend. She only talked to a few people, and even them only rarely. It was a YouTube alert, Danisnotonfire New Video! They had been talking less and less lately, he was busy with the book tour and just general life. She was busy with work. She had a few hours before she had to go to bed, she clicked the alert and the video began.

It was just a catch up, basically, a few tidbits of news, a meme here or there, and an 'I'm sorry for not posting.' The first part of the tour was over and Dan and Phil would be home for the remainder of the winter. 

The girl wanted to call, but she didn't want to keep pestering Dan. She'd said something about it in the past but he just waved her off. She knew though, he had other things to do besides be her life. She had to get out. Just take a few minutes to do something. She grabbed her keys and took off for the store as she was, in a black hoodie and pastel pj pants.

It was fairly empty as she walked down isles picking up energy drinks and chocolate and nothing healthy although she thought she should. After a while she couldn't stand how quiet it was. She put her earbuds in an started listening to something soft. She checked out and put the groceries in her car. 

Pulling back into her driveway she sighed her cat was sitting at the window waiting, the girl had forgotten to feed her cat again. Gossamer must have been starving. The girl lugged the groceries inside and set them down on the counter. After getting her cat some food she got to work getting herself some.  
Curled on the couch in a plush 'give me coffee or give me death' blanket, microwave popcorn and bags of half eaten candy around her, she was drifting off to sleep. She had decided to watch a few movies before bed and was now exhausted. 

While brushing her teeth her phone started to ring, of course, two am and right when she had a mouth full of toothpaste someone decided to call. She rinsed her mouth put and dashed to her phone. It was Dan. 

"Dan! What's wrong?" 

"Hey! I wasn't expecting you to pick up. I was going to leave a voicemail."

"Oh, what..why so early? Is everything okay?" She was slightly less asleep now after the heart attack seeing his name had given her.

"Um, yeah. Just been super busy and wanted to wish you a good day is all. " 

"At two A.M.?" 

"What?" 'Oh,shit' the girl heard him say in the background, "It's six here, I'm so sorry, please, go back to sleep. I'm so sorry." He really did sound sorry too. 

"It's okay, I hadn't quite got to bed yet anyway," the girl admitted.

"Oh, okay, well have a good night's sleep then, I hope your day goes well tomorrow," Dan said.

"Thanks, you too."

"Good night," he said.

"Good night," she responded. 

By the time the dial tone rang they were both brighter than Dorothy's ruby slippers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am not affiliated with YouTube or Danisnotonfire. I don't own them either.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you liked! Also a-single-night-without-ghosts on tumblr.


End file.
